Spraying apparatus



D 1931. R. E. M KENZIE SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed April. 29, 1929 PatentedDec. 15, 1 931 orrlcli l RALPH E. ilrcxnnz n, or behest, wrsconsmissmmn, VIBY MEsnn ASSIGNMENTS,

TO OLIVER FARM,EQUIPME M ANY, A CORPQRATION or DELAWARE.

" isrnatzinei Arrnni rfis i piia aafiiea s in 29,

-' This invention relatesto sprayingappara his and more 'particularlytoanovel form of suction well associated and combined with such anapparatus inra mannerlt'o overcome certain difiiculties hereinafterpointed out. An object of my invention is to= provide"a device of thekind; above identified which is adapted to prevent the 'accumulat'ion ofsedimentin the suction well-andon thefscreens thereof, especially whenthe sprayingoperation is temporarily discontinued. Another object is toprovide a suction well having a compartment into which-the suction lpipeextends and having a chamber thereabout adapted to receive the overflowor excess of fluid and return it to the space'surrounding the suctioncompartment in" such a manner, as to keep the screens of the wellcleaned and to maintain a constant agitation of the fluid retaining the"solid substances in suspension and preventi goljlctpion; of sediment. i1

1 The material usedfor spraying purposes ordinarily contains a largeproportion-of solids and unless thefluidis constantly agis tated for thepurpose ofkeep'ing the solidsin suspension," they willsettle forming asedi inent and cloggingthescreen'e nployed at the intake end of thesuction pipe. "To avoid the loss of spraying fluid, it is customarytofshut 011? the discharge valve when reaching the ends of the" rowsofpotatoes," or the like, whicharebeingfsprayed; and, again open' thedischarge valve when startingto 'spray'another set of rows. When thevalve is thus temporarily closed, the fnioveinent of "th'efliii'd isstopped and the solids in suspensionfwill gravitate forming a sedimentinthe: suction well and on the screen; When" the valve is againopenedthe screen is partially 'filled with sediment and the passage offiuid'there- By my n t o 1 ha fq d l p rat'usso' arranged that the"screensin' the suction well do notreadily become c ogged; If

"for any reason the screens shouldbecome clogged, the arrangement of myinventionis eza Serial no. 358,811. 1

suchj'thatautomatic cleaning'of the screens may be readily efifectedi 1My-invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate one specific embodiment thereof."" Fig' 1 is avertical section of a spraying apparatusincorporating my invention,parts being broken aWay to more clearly illustrate the interior thereofand the mode "of 0pera tion.

Fig-"2 is avertical section of my improved suction well. V Fig. '3 a isa cross-section 33;ofFig."2. V y

In Figqlthe spraying apparatus comprises a base inember l suitablysupported by traction wheels 5, one of *whichisshown in the taken on theline sectional-view. The tank 6 or any suitable construction is adaptedto contain the spraying fluidl A suction pipeT-leads from the suctionwell 8 in the bottom of tank 6 upwardly through a suitable cover 7. Tothe end of pipe 7' is connected a flexible] tube :9 leading to'the'pump11 which is driven from the-sprocket wheel 13by'means of a chain 12. Thesprocket wheel 13 is arranged to rotate With one of the traction wheels5and impart reciprocating motion to the piston rod 12 whenever thetractionwheels are rotated.

The chain l also rotates a sprocket 15 for the agitator 16, the purposeofwhich is to maintain a constant agitation of the fluid in the bottom]of the tank-'6. An air chamber 17 connectingwith the discharge side ofthe pump 11 by means of apipe 11 is adapted-to receive and dischargefluid through the pipe 11" so astokeep a relatively constant'pressurewithin the pipe 18 leading to the spray nozzle 22 A discharge valve 19inthe pipe li'ne l8 may be opened andclosed by hand wheel 23 located-justaboveth'e top of an 6 in a position convenient for the {operator} Whenthe valve 19iis open, spraying fluid is free to pass therethroughthroughthehinge joint'21 and out: the spray-nozzle=22;

The pump 11 is made of such a size that pumps considerably more fluidthan can be dischargedthroiigh the spray nozzlel'. The I excess of'fiuidfrom the pump passes intothe chamber 17, then outwardly through thebypass valve 24 when a predetermined pressure has been attained. Fromthe valve 24 the fluid is returned through the hose 25 to the suctionwell 8. The suction well comprises a bell shaped top casting 26 seatedon a disc 27. A disc 28 is secured in spaced relation to the disc 27 bybolts 31 passing therethrough, and by spacers 29 and 29. Annular flanges32 on the discs 27 and 28 formsupports for a screen 33 of relativelyfine mesh which encloses the end of suction pipe 7 forming a suctioncompartment. A baflle 34: formedin tegral with the disc 28 extendsacross the suction compartment and perpendicular to the end of thesuction pipe 7 in such a manner as to prevent whirling of the sprayingliquid as it passes into the pipe. The baffle 34 also forms an abutmentfor the suction pipe 7 Annular flanges 35 support the screen 36concentrically about screen 33 forming a re turn compartment. The fluidreturning through hose 25 discharging into chamber 2.0 may find its way,through the apertures 38 in the disc 27 between flanges 32 and 35, intothis return compartment. The casting 26 has a nipple 39 onto which thereturn. hose 25 is fitted.

In the operation of the apparatus, rotation of the traction wheels 5operates-thepump 11, which draws fluid from the suction well 8 throughpipe 7 and tube 9, discharging it. into pipe 18 and air chamber 17through pipe 11. When the valve 19 is opened, fluid will. spray throughthe nozzle 22.

Since the pump forces more fluid into the chamber 17 than can bedischarged through nozzle 22, a sufficient pressure buildsup to open theby-pass valve 24 and permit the excess fluid toreturn through hose 25into the fluid return chamber 20. From the chamber 20 the excess fluidpasses downwardly through the openings 38 in the disc 2.7 in. adirection substantially parallel with the screens 33 and 36, therebyremoving sediment which may have collected onthe-screens. hen the valve19 is closed the pump continues to spray and all the fluid drawnthroughthe suction pipe is returned. through the hose 25 to the chamber 20 inthe suction well. The fluid is constantly drawn through the screen 33 ata relatively high ratev of speed. Consequently the solid materialstherein are kept constantly in suspension and no sediment is permittedto form. When the valve- 19 is again opened the spraying operation isimmediately continued without such difliculties, as a clogged screen ora spray nozzle filled with a large quantity of sediment.

If for any reason the screens should become partially clogged, they maybe automatically cleaned by simply closing the Valve 1.9 for a briefperiod and allowing all the fluid from the pump to return downwardlythrough the openings 38 in a direction parallel with the screens whichvery quickly removes the sediment therefrom.

Having described my invention, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that certain changes and variations may be made therein= withoutdeparting from the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

7 I claim as my invention:

1. In a spraying apparatus, a tank for a spraying solution, means forconveying the solution from the tank including a suction pipe, a screenenclosing the end of the suction pipe, a second screen surrounding thefirst screen leaving a space between the screens, and means forreturning a portion of the solution to the space between the screens tokeep the solution in said space in constant agitatiou 2. In a sprayingapparatus, a container for a spraying solution, means for withdrawingthe solution from the container includ ing' a pipe extending into thesolution, means for drawing the solution through said pipe, a pluralityof spaced screens surrounding the end of the pipe, and means for keepingthe solution agitated in the space between the screens.

3. Ina spraying, apparatus, a suction well comprising a pipe fordischarging a liquid, a screen enclosingv the end of the discharge pipe,a second screen surrounding the first screen leaving a spacetherebetween, a chamber communicating with the space between the screensand means for conveying a portion of the discharged solution throughsaid chamber into the space between the screens to prevent the formationof sediment.

4.. The combination of a liquid container, a pump for withdrawing liquidfrom the container,'a suction well connected to the pump: and located inthe container, a screen in said suction. well, means for returning aportion of the liquid withdrawn by the pump to the suction well,andmeans for causing the returned liquid to move perpendicularly to theliquid passing through the screen, thereby preventing, the accumulation.of sediment.

5.v In a spraying apparatus an intake strainer comprising a pair ofspaced discs, a pair of concentric cylindrical screens of differentdiameters between said discs, an intake pipe extending into the smallercylindrical sceen,v and a return. pipe communicating with the spacebetween the screens.

6=.. A suction well. comprising means for receiving discharge pipe, saidmeans including aifluid return chamber, a suction chamber below saidfluid return chamber, said suction chamber comprising a suctioncompartment and a fluid return compartment, a screen between saidcompartments and means for permitting the passage of fluid from saidreturn chamber into said return compartment in a direction substantiallyparallel with said screen other of said compartments communicating 7. Ina suction well, means for receiving a discharge pipe, asuction chamber,screens dividing said chamber into a plurality of conipartments, a,return chamber communicating with one of said compartments and anwiththe discharge pipe.

8. In a suction well, a suction chamber and a fluid return chamber, adisc memberfor separating said chamber, a second disc spaced from thefirst said disc and forming the bottom of said suction chamber, screensupporting flanges on said disc, screens dividing said suction chamberinto a plurality of concentrically arranged cylindrical compartments,means for admitting the discharge pipe into i the inner cylindricalcompartments and I means for directing fluid from return chamf ber tothe outer cylindrical compartment in a direction parallel with saidscreens.

9. In a suction well, a suction chamber and a fluid return chamber, a dsc member'for separating said chamber, a second disc spaced ment fordividing the lower end thereof and 7 preventing the whirling of fluid insaid pipe, and means for directing fluid from the return chamber to theouter compartment in a direction substantially parallel with saidscreens.

10. A spraying device comprising an intake compartment, two spaced apartintake screens arrangedanteriorly thereof, a liquid supplytankcommunicating with the compartment through the screens, a pumpcommunicating on its intake side with said chamber, a V

spray nozzle communicating with the discharge side of the pump, andmeans for withdrawing, anteriorly of the nozzle, a portion of the liquidpumped by the pump and for returning it to said chamberbetween thescreens.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22d day of April,1929. V RALPH E. MoKENZIE.

